Scouring pad



M. VIRAGH SCOURING PAD July 27, 1926.

Filed June 10, L924 Patented Jilly 27, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARY VIRAGH, OF SWISSV'ALE. PENNSYLVANIA.

SCOURING PAD.

Application filed. June 10, 1924. Serial No. 719,070.

simple, convenient, inexpensive and highly.

efficient in operation.

Special objects are to provide a scouring pad comprising a mass of abrasive material such as steel wool which may be naturally gripped and conveniently handled by the user without danger of injury to the hands, one in which the steel wool is held in operative relation with the protective cover Without necessitating permanent attachment of the wool to the cover as by stitching, but is removably gripped between portions of the cover so as to render'it readily replaceable by new portions taken from bulk, one in which the entire cover may be fabricated from a single piece of flexible waterproof material, and one which will automatically conform itself to the surfaces being cleaned whereby to increase the effectiveness and usefulness of the pad.

Steel wool is a very effective and efiicient abradant, is readily obtained in bulk form, and is particularly adapted for cleaning vessels of aluminum, and has been used considerably for this purpose. ,However, as commonly used, the users hand, unless gloved, either comes into direct contact with the wool, or the Wool is permanently, attached to more or less complicated holding devices. These methods of using steel Wool are objectionable, either because of the danger of" injury to the hands of the fuser, or because of the expensive nature of the cleaning apparatus or its short life, it being well understood that although steel wool is an effective abrasive agent for the purpose of this invention, nevertheless it quickly wears out. It is an object of this invention to provide a scouring pad free. from both of these objections. Y

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the Invention,

'Fig. 2 a bottom plan view, showing the smaller portion of the holder with the mass of steel. wool freely exposed throughout its greater extent; and'Fig. 3 a transverse, sectional view taken through the pad substantially on the line IIIIII of Fi 2.

The holder of the pad is ind icated generally by the reference numeral 1, the holder being formed of a single piece of flexible material, preferably of the Waterproof variety. The single-piece holder, is folded upon itself as indicated at 2, so as to form two superposed portions or sheets 3 and 3'. The portions 3 and 3 are of unequal size,

the latter being constructed in actual practice of a convenient size to accommodate the thumb of the user without danger of bring'-.

ing it beyond the edge of the portion 3 during use of the pad in a manner to be set forth subsequently more at length.

The material from which the holder is made, although flexible has sufficient rigidity to normally maintain a predetermined definite sha e, and sheet rubber having a substantial body being found particularly suitable for the purpose intended. After the holder has been folded, in the manner ex-.

plained, the portions 3, and 3 are intimately bound together in the region adjacent the fold 2 so as to maintain their'contiguous faces in intimate contact. The most convenient means for this purpose is a line of stitching such as shown at 4. The line'of stitching, together with the nature of the material, normally causes the portions 3 and 3' to tend to lie closely adjacent each other and exert a yielding gripping effect upon the loose mass 5 of steel Wool which is interposed therebetween. The mass 5 consists of a quantity of steel wool which is taken from bulk and merely roughly shaped, with out felting or other special treatment, so as to assume generally the shape shown in the drawings, and is then inserted between the superposed portions of the cover where it is Y removably held in the manner noted. These masses or pads of steel wool may be removed at any time desired, and readily replaced by new ones taken from bulk whenever worn out. The worn down masses need not be thrown away but may be built up to the proper size by suitable quantities of additional wool taken from bulk. It is obvious that steel wool treated with soap, instead of the plain wool, may be employed, if desired.

Preferably, the marginal edge of the entire holder 1 is serrated, as shown in the drawings, for the purpose of ornamentation,

' and the portion 3 is equipped with a central- 1y, disposed finger loop 6 for positioning the fingers of the user near the middle portion of the pad during its use.

- ment may be employed In use, the device is held between the fingers and thumb of the user, several fingers engaging the the thumb is engaged with the mid part of the portion 3. With the device held in this manner the exposed portion of the mass of steel wool is rubbed to and fro over the surface to be cleaned, all in an obvious fashion which will be readily understood by all familiar with this art. Due to the flexible nature of the holder 1, as well as that of the mass of steel wool, the pad will readily con form to the surface being cleaned regardless of its shape, thus adding to the efiectiveness of the scouring pad. While the portions 3 and 3 of the holder fully protect the hand of the user against injury from contact with the steel wool, nevertheless, an extended area of the mass of steel wool is always exposed for contact with the surface being cleaned.

The provisions of a scouring pad having the protective holder of such nature that when formed in superposed attached sheets will produce a gripping effect sufficientto normally maintain amass of abrasive material therebetween, is one of the principal features of the invention. As previously pointed out, the intimate binding of the two sections at the folded edge is preferablysecured by means of stitching, butit is obvious that some other equivalent mode of attachfor holding the sections together in the region of the fold. It is therefore not intended to limit the invention beyond that particularly pointed out and defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A scouring-pad comprising a holder of flexible material, said holder being formed of two superposed sheets unequal in size, said sheets being operatively connected and of suflicient size when gripped by the hand of the user to overlie the thumb and fingers thereof, respectively, and a mass of abrasive material interposed between the said sheets loop 6 on the portion 3 while and projecting beyond the periphery of the said sheet of smaller size.

2. A scouring pad comprising a holder of flexible material, said holder being formed by two superposed sheets of unequal size bound into intimate contact throughout a portion of the peripheries thereof, and a loose mass of abrasive material removably gripped between the said sheets.

/ 3. A scouring pad comprising a singlepiece holder of flexible waterproof material having sufficient rigidity to assume a prede-.

termined definite shape, said holder bein folded upon itself to form two superposed portions of unequal size, said portions being bound into intimate contact adjacent the bus of fold whereby to cause the said portions to tend to normally lie closelyadjacent each .other, and a loose mass of steel wool reripped between the 'said portions.

inovably g 4. A flexible holder for a pad 'of abrasive material for hand use in cleansing and abrading comprising a pocket having a top wall substantially completely overlying one side of the pad, and a bottom wall overlying a portion of the opposite side of the.

pad whereby the remaining portion of the last named side is exposed.

5. A scouring pad comprising a holder, said holder being formed of two superposed sheets unequal in size, the smaller sheet being made of fiexible waterproof material having suflicient rigidity to normally cause it to bodily extend in the general direction of the plane of the contiguous face of the sheet of larger size, and a loose flexible mass of abrasive material frictionally gripped and removably held between saidsheets, the said flexible massbeing of such dimensions as to assure its peripheral portions projecting beyond the marginal edge of the said .smaller sheet.

In testimony whereof, I sign my name.

MARY VIRAGH. 

